Download PHILOSOPHY OF THE SOCIAL STUDIES DEPARTMENT

Social Studies
PHILOSOPHY OF THE
SOCIAL STUDIES DEPARTMENT
The Lemont High School Social Studies Department believes that students should develop the following
characteristics:
• Use of cooperation and collaboration in decision making
• Utilization of analytical and critical thinking skills
• Enhancement of self image
• Understanding of how to function as effective and contributing members of a democratic society
Courses offered within the Social Studies curriculum help students demonstrate an understanding and competency
of historical and economic principles as participating citizens in our ever-changing society.
Based on abilities and course level, students are expected to:
• Attain historical literacy by learning about world events, traditions, patterns and changes
• Make informed decisions that transcend time and cultures
• Understand the human experience by learning how individual and group behaviors impact diverse
populations
• Achieve economic literacy by applying the process of choice and the allocation of resources and how they
relate to individuals, groups and societies
• Use democratic principles to act responsibly and productively within their community and take part in
participatory citizenship
Grading Standards: Student grades are determined based on their performance in the areas of research,
discussion, writing and examinations.
CORE COURSES - SOCIAL STUDIES
Cultural Geography
Grades Course Open To:9
Credit:1.0
Prerequisite: None
Description: This course introduces students to the concepts of cultural geography, helping them to learn the major
regions of the world and compare and contrast, analyze and evaluate those regions through various themes. Through
discussion, debate, simulations, research, lectures and role playing, students gain critical thinking skills and examine
history, cultures, environment, demographics, economic systems and political systems of the world. The content
of the course examines the commonalities among, and differences between, the world’s regions. Topics of study
include, among others, map skills, world religions, regional histories, economics, political science, demographics and
geography. Note: This course, or an equivalent, is required for graduation from Lemont High School.
Lemont High School Program of Studies
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Social Studies
AP Human Geography
Grades Course Open To:9-10-11-12Credit: 1.0 - weighted for AP
Prerequisite: Placement based on student’s placement exam results (for freshmen)
Fees: AP Human Geography exam (paid at fall registration)
Description: This advanced-level course introduces students to the systematic study of patterns and processes that
have shaped humans’ understanding, use and alteration of the Earth’s surface. Students employ spatial concepts
and landscape analysis to examine socioeconomic organization and its environmental consequences. Students learn
about the methods and tools geographers use in their research and application. The course is the equivalent of an
introductory college-level course in the subject area, and should prepare students for future Advanced Placement
classes in other curricular areas. Note: This course satisfies the Cultural Geography requirement for graduation.
Note: All students enrolled in this course must take the AP Human Geography exam in the spring.
Consumer Education
Grades Course Open To:11-12
Credit:0.5
Prerequisite: None
Description: This course addresses skills that are necessary for students to possess in modern society. Students
become aware of the benefits of being an effective consumer in America. They gain knowledge about taking out
credit in their own names - including credit cards, college loans and home loans - and are exposed to different
methods of saving and investing their money. Students also discover the important choices that consumers must
consider when making major purchases, such as houses and automobiles. The course places a strong emphasis on
financial planning for college and beyond. Note: This course, or an equivalent, is required for graduation from
Lemont High School. Note: This course is not accepted by the NCAA Eligibility Center.
U.S. History
Grades Course Open To:11-12
Credit:1.0
Prerequisite: None
Description: This course covers events related to the political, economic and social development of the United
States, with attention given to the relationship of past events to current affairs. Students are introduced to basic
concepts relative to American History, and are expected to discuss a broad variety of problems in American History
by developing abilities to analyze critically, synthesize and evaluate subject matter. Through discussion, debate,
simulations, lectures, role playing, and research papers, students study a number of areas, ranging from colonial
development and the Revolutionary War, to the Civil War and Reconstruction, to World War I and II and new
America.
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Lemont High School Program of Studies
Social Studies
AP U.S. History
Grades Course Open To:11-12
Credit: 1.0 - weighted for AP
Prerequisite: Grade of B or better in any Social Studies courses taken as a freshman or sophomore, and grade of B
or better in both English I (all levels) and English II (all levels)
Fees: AP U.S. History exam (paid at fall registration)
Description: With a more advanced and in depth curriculum, this course covers events related to the political,
economic and social development of the United States, with attention given to the relationship of past events to
current affairs. The course provides students with analytical skills necessary to deal critically with problems and
materials in this country’s history. Students are introduced to basic concepts relative to American History, and are
expected to discuss a broad variety of problems in American History by developing abilities to analyze critically,
synthesize and evaluate subject matter. Through discussion, debate, simulations, lectures, role playing, and research
papers, students study a number of areas, ranging from colonial development and the Revolutionary War, to the
Civil War and Reconstruction, to World War I and II and new America. This course involves mandatory summer
reading and writing assignments that must be completed by the first day of class. Note: All students enrolled in this
course must take the AP U.S. History exam in the spring.
American Government
Grades Course Open To:12
Credit:0.5
Prerequisite: None
Description: This course stresses the processes of the American government and how it relates to the community
it serves. Students examine the branches of government, the constitution, the bill of rights, separation of powers,
and the fundamental beliefs of a democratic society. Special attention is given to the party system, the conflict over
rights and the interpretation of the constitution, among other topics. Areas of study include modern political and
economic systems, civil rights, voters and their behavior, electoral process, foreign affairs, national security, the
Illinois constitution and local government, among others. Students develop the ability to analyze critically, synthesize
and evaluate subject matter through a variety of methods, including discussion, debate, lectures, role playing,
observation of local government in action, and essay writing.
AP U.S. Government & Politics
Grades Course Open To:12
Credit: 1.0 - weighted for AP
Prerequisite: Grade of B or better in any Social Studies courses taken as a freshman, sophomore or junior, and grade
of B or better in English I (all levels), English II (all levels) and English III (all levels)
Fees: AP American Government exam (paid at fall registration)
Description: This advanced-level course gives students an analytical perspective on government and politics in
the United States. It includes both the study of general concepts used to interpret U.S. politics, as well as analysis
of specific examples. Students become familiar with various institutions, groups, beliefs and ideas that constitute
U.S. politics. They also become acquainted with a variety of theoretical perspectives and explanations for various
behaviors and outcomes, including constitutional underpinnings of U.S. government, political beliefs, political
parties, interest groups and mass media, institutions of national government, public policy, and civil rights and
liberties. This course involves mandatory summer reading and writing assignments that must be completed by the
first day of class, and unlike the regular American Government course, spans two semesters. Note: All students
enrolled in this course must take the AP American Government exam in the spring.
Lemont High School Program of Studies
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Social Studies
American Problems
Grades Course Open To:12
Credit:0.5
Prerequisite: None
Description: This course provides students with the opportunity to discuss and debate major social, economic,
political, international and ethical problems through the use of a number of techniques, including group discussion,
debate, simulations and speeches. An emphasis is placed on logic, propaganda analysis, semantic accuracy, problem
solving processes and securing adequate and reliable information through the use of valid research techniques. The
course prepares students for active democratic citizenship and helps them effectively trace economic, social, military,
global and cultural problems they may confront in their adult lives. Students actively participate in problem solving
discussions, extensive research and other activities in order to become well-informed and logical thinkers.
ELECTIVE COURSES - SOCIAL STUDIES
AP Macroeconomics
Grades Course Open To:10-11-12 Credit: 0.5 - weighted for AP
Prerequisite: Successful completion of AP Microeconomics is recommended
Fees: AP Macroeconomics exam (paid at fall registration)
Description: This introductory college-level course focuses on principles that apply to an economic system as a
whole. Macroeconomics places particular emphasis on the study of national income and price-level determination.
It also develops students’ familiarity with economic performance measures, the financial sector, stabilization
policies, economic growth, and international economics. Students utilize graphs, charts and data to analyze,
describe and explain economic concepts. Students are strongly encouraged to take both AP Microeconomics and
AP Macroeconomics in the same year. Note: All students enrolled in this course must take the AP Macroeconomics
exam in the spring.
AP Microeconomics
Grades Course Open To:10-11-12 Credit: 0.5 - weighted for AP
Prerequisite: None
Fees: AP Microeconomics exam (paid at fall registration)
Description: This introductory college-level course gives students a thorough understanding of economic principles
that apply to the functions of individual decision makers - both consumers and producers - within the economic
system. It places a primary emphasis on the nature and functions of product markets, and includes the study of
factor markets and of the role of government in promoting greater efficiency and equity in the economy. Students
are strongly encouraged to take both AP Microeconomics and AP Macroeconomics in the same year. Note: All
students enrolled in this course must take the AP Microeconomics exam in the spring.
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Lemont High School Program of Studies
Social Studies
AP Psychology
Grades Course Open To:11-12
Credit: 1.0 - weighted for AP
Prerequisite: Grade of B or better in any Social Studies courses taken as a freshman and sophomore, and grade of B
or better in both English I (all levels) and English II (all levels)
Fees: AP Psychology exam (paid at fall registration)
Description: This advanced-level course introduces students to the methods of studying human behavior and how
the mind functions, and unlike the academic course, meets for a full year. Exploring topics more in depth, students
learn about the many areas of the field of psychology and various widely practiced perspectives. A number of areas
are studied, from behavior and emotion, to adolescence and adulthood, to abnormal behavior and social psychology.
The course provides a background study in a number of areas, including learning, motivation, thinking, intelligence
and conflict, among others. Students develop the ability to analyze critically, synthesize and evaluate subject matter
through discussion, debate, simulations, lectures, role playing, conducting surveys, observational research, reflective
analysis, and interviews of personnel in the field of psychology. The course is intended to prepare students for a
college-level course in the subject area, and accordingly, students are expected to do a great deal or reading and
writing. This course involves mandatory summer reading and writing assignments that must be completed by the
first day of class. Note: All students enrolled in this course must take the AP Psychology exam in the spring.
AP World History
Grades Course Open To:10-11-12 Credit: 1.0 - weighted for AP
Prerequisite: Grade of B or better in any Social Studies courses taken prior to enrollment
Fees: AP World History exam (paid at fall registration)
Description: This fast-paced course expands on the foundations of world history. Students utilize primary and
secondary sources to foster a deeper level of understanding of the history of the world. Students conduct research
and apply historical thinking through a variety of activities and assessments, and develop a greater understanding of
historical literacy and viewpoints from all geographic regions. Courses of study include early civilizations, empires,
comparative religions, colonialism, the evolution of economics, cultural identity, and social experiences from around
the globe. Note: All students enrolled in this course must take the AP World History exam in the spring.
Economics
Grades Course Open To:10-11-12 Credit:0.5
Prerequisite: None
Description: This course provides students a greater understanding of economics, ranging from the viewpoint of
the individual consumer or small business owner to the global economy. Students learn about the law of supply and
demand, forms of business, labor unions, government finances and influence on the economy, money and prices,
and inflation and deflation cycles. The course relates history and politics to the study of economics. Other units of
study include economic systems, the free enterprise system, market structures, business and labor, banking, financial
markets, Gross Domestic Product and economic challenges, and the global economy.
Lemont High School Program of Studies
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Social Studies
Human Rights & World Affairs
Grades Course Open To:10-11-12 Credit:0.5
Prerequisite: Grade of A in semester 1 of Cultural Geography (applies to sophomores only) or successful
completion of AP Human Geography
Description: This course helps students identify basic human rights as outlined by the United Nations, and analyzes
the roles of the United Nations and the United States in promoting and protecting basic human rights. The course
focuses on a number of violations of human rights, including the Armenian Genocide, the Ukranian FamineGenocide, and more recent atrocities in Cambodia, Bosnia, Rwanda and Sudan. Additionally, students examine the
extreme violations of human rights and genocidal policies by the governments of China, Burma, Laos and Indonesia,
among others. Students analyze the geopolitical difficulties involved in preventing genocide and protecting human
rights, and learn to identify the root causes of genocide. The course also examines the creation of the United Nations
Declaration of Human Rights, the United Nations Charter on Genocide, genocide prevention, and the geopolitical
issue of human rights and foreign policy. The course examines the policies of the United States in relation to these
events, and the abilities of nations to prevent human rights violations and genocide.
Local History
Grades Course Open To:10-11-12 Credit:0.5
Prerequisite: None
Description: This hands-on class expands students’ knowledge of one of the most historically rich regions in the
country. The course not only chronicles Lemont’s history, but also focuses on important themes such as Native
American and immigrant history, Chicago as a progressive leader, and the region’s importance in the development
of the United States throughout the 20th Century. Students are connected to their community in a new way, which
increases their sense of citizenship. Students utilize the Lemont Area Historical Society as an important resource, and
complete a research project that requires them to gather artifacts from the community in the form of objects and/or
oral documentation.
Psychology
Grades Course Open To:11-12
Credit:0.5
Prerequisite: None
Description: This course introduces students to the methods of studying human behavior and how the mind
functions. Students learn about the many areas of the field of psychology and various widely practiced perspectives.
A number of areas are studied, from behavior and emotion, to adolescence and adulthood, to abnormal behavior
and social psychology. The course provides a background study in a number of areas, including learning, motivation,
thinking, intelligence and conflict, among others. Students develop the ability to analyze critically, synthesize
and evaluate subject matter through discussion, debate, simulations, lectures, role playing, conducting surveys,
observational research, completing research papers, and through interviews of personnel in the field of psychology.
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Lemont High School Program of Studies
Social Studies
Sociology
Grades Course Open To:11-12
Credit:0.5
Prerequisite: None
Description: This course helps students examine humankind in social groups and as individuals, and affords them
the opportunity to learn about themselves and others in group behavior. The subjects of various cultures and current
social issues such as crime, minorities and war provide for stimulating discussion and projects. Students develop the
ability to analyze critically, synthesize and evaluate subject matter through discussion, debate, simulations, lectures,
role playing, conducting surveys, observational research, reflective analysis, and interviews of personnel in the field
of sociology. A number of subject areas are addressed, from sociological theories and social research, structure and
interaction, to race, ethnic groups and social movements and change, among others.
World History
Grades Course Open To:10-11-12 Credit:1.0
Prerequisite: None
Description: This course provides students perspective of past events and their relationship to the modern world.
Students learn how past events have contributed to the shape of modern culture and civilization, and study
the geographic regions of ancient civilizations in comparison with today’s world. Through the study of ancient
civilizations, including Greece and Rome, students learn the major ways in which such past civilizations have
affected modern civilization. Other areas of study include the Medieval Period, the Reformation, the Renaissance
and the Modern Age, as well as other significant periods and events. Students use multiple resources to participate in
both group and individual research projects.
Lemont High School Program of Studies
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